Success

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My Views

Being Ourselves

As an artist, I value my integrity and identity - my authenticity – honouring the various aspects of my personality that together make up "me".

Judgement

I believe that the term "Judgement" is misunderstood by most people. This is a big topic, and I am not trying to give a comprehensive analysis of teaching on the subject, but rather to try and share something of the peace and confidence I find in this whole topic.

My Beliefs

There is a “spiritual” dimension to life that transcends the physical, psychological and emotional realities. I believe that God exists, and that man is essentially a spirit being in a physical body, having a soul.

Relationships

There are so many aspects to relationships and so much has been written elsewhere that I just want to touch on what I consider to be the essence of relationships.

Self-Promotion

Some time ago, when asked to contribute some thoughts to someone who was writing an article on how artists can "use a website to promote their artwork", I found it quite interesting to examine my own motives and to consider what role my use of a web site had played in my art, and whether it had met my original expectations. I would like to share my conclusions.

Success

Success is not a matter of having money or possessions, nor is it a matter of having power or recognition. True success is found in being a totally integrated – "whole" – human being.

What is Art?

As I have improved my own skills and developed more of a personal style, I have gradually come to have a personal definition of what art is - and what it is not. I am not trying to suggest that I have the "correct" view on the subject, but my opinion quite naturally affects the subjects I choose and the way in which I work.

What Is Value?

How can we conduct our liveseffectively and with integrity, especially in business,unless we understand “Value”. It is only when we know we are producing something of value that we get a sense of purpose, satisfaction and fulfilment. So what is “Value”?

Success

Success is not a matter of having money or possessions, nor is it a matter of having power or recognition. True success is found in being a totally integrated – "whole" – human being. To the extent that any individual becomes whole, these things (money or power) no longer matter, and paradoxically, they quite simply start to come into being for that person seemingly without effort. At least that has been my own experience, and I know it to be the experience of others.

If success is in being "whole", then let's consider what this means.

If something is "whole", then it is considered to be complete, containing all components and is in one piece, not being divided or broken. In personal terms, when we consider someone to be whole, this means that they are not wounded, injured, or impaired. This does not necessarily mean that they have never been broken, wounded, injured or impaired in some way, but having been so, they have been healed and restored.

These definitions are pretty limited in scope, but are a good starting point for discussion.

In my opinion, a pretty good measure of wholeness is in how much peace and contentment, love and acceptance we experience in every day life, not only with respect to others and how we may relate to them, but first and foremost with respect to ourselves, and how we see ourselves.

Wholeness

Many religious traditions promote holiness as a way to God. A pretty good definition of "holiness" is "wholeness". I believe that both words share a common history in English language. Christians believe that only Christ was truly holy, being both whole and sinless, and as such provides the only means for reconciliation with God. He shows us the image of God in true wholeness and beauty. In the Bible, at John 14:9 it is recorded that Jesus said, "... Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. ..."

As a Christian I believe that I am indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God, so my wholeness can be found in God who indwells me. To the extent that I am whole (holy) others may see at least some aspect of the character of God visible in me. The concept is quite simple, really, but the outworking of this can seem quite difficult at times, needing a clear personal decision, backed by a commitment to stay true to ourselves and our chosen course. Without this, all the religious dogma and vows in the world will be useless, or worse, can become a quicksand that can bog us down.

So, as we stay true to ourselves, we stay true to God, for He made us as we are. It is important to have a clear vision or sense of direction formed out of a clear sense of who we are and what we are here for, our purpose. As we travel our own personal path to fulfilling that purpose, we make decisions, often taking advantage of opportunities that can bring us closer to our vision. I believe that wholeness (holiness) is gained in proportion to the fulfilment of our purpose.

I have met many broken people. I have met some who have been substantially healed from their brokenness. I have never met a completely whole person, so it follows in my opinion that I have never met a truly holy person either. That means that there is hope for all of us, I think.

If you are seeking wholeness, then you might possibly find it, simply because you are looking, rather than as an instant answer in anything that I or anyone else may write. The answers to your questions, and the source of your healing lies within you. Reach out to God and see what happens! You might be surprised - I have been at times!

All Scriptural references quoted are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION^®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.